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tv   Way Too Early With Willie Geist  MSNBC  May 9, 2011 5:30am-6:00am EDT

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whose compound was raided last week turning up hours and hours of video aft week of me watching myself on television. i'm glad you're up with us early this morning. shoot me an e-mail. way too early at msnbc.com. or you can do what ron artest does and text the word awake followed by your response to 622639. we'll read the best responses on this show. the next 4 30 minutes will be your cram session today. a lot to tell but including the ongoing evacuation orders up and down the mississippi river after those incredible floods. we'll have the latest there. plus, tina fey brings back her old sarah palin character on snl. we'll have the highlights for you later. the donald, too. first, here is "30 rock" in new york city. for the first time, president obama is revealing the behind the scenes details on the raid on osama bin laden's compound last week.
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in an interview, the president talked about the risks of the operation phase going into pakistan. >> as outstanding a job as our intelligence teams did, and i cannot praise them enough, they did an extraordinary job with just the slenderest of bits of information to piece this all together. at the end of the day, this was still a 55/45 situation. i mean, we could not say definitively that bin laden was there. had he not been there, then there would have been some significant consequences. >> 55/45 most certainly is not definitive. in addition to the dangers that accompanied the mission, president obama said last night that he had to weigh questions and reject the advice of some of his closest advisers. >> what i've tried to do is make sure that every time i sit down in the situation room, every one of my advisers around there knows i expect them to give me their best assessments.
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and so the fact that there were some who voiced doubts about this approach was invaluable. because it meant the plan was sharper, it meant that we had thought through all of our options. it meant that when i finally did make the decision i was making it based on the very best information. it wasn't as if any of the folks who were voicing doubts were voicing something that i wasn't already running through in my own head. >> the president, though, could not consider opinions from all of his people. president obama stressing last night just how tight lipped he had to be and that the vast majority of even his senior aides did not know about the raid. among those who were in the know were members of his national security team. he shared the stress he felt as the group watched the operation unfold in the situation room. >> i want to go to the situation room. what was the mood? >> tense. >> people talking? >> yeah, but doing a lot of listening, as well, because we
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were able to monitor the situation in realtime and it was the longest 40 minutes of my life with the possible exception of when sasha got meningitis when she was three months old and i was waiting for the doctor to tell me that she was all right. president obama later concluded that he did not lose sleep over taking out osama bin laden and that, quote, justice was done. meanwhile, pakistan is facing questions from the administration about how bin laden could live under their eyes for so long. >> we think that there had to be some sort of support network for bin laden inside of pakistan. but we don't know who or what that support network was. we don't know whether there must have been some people inside of
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government, people outside of government, and that's something that we have to investigate and more importantly, the pakistani government has to investigate. >> the president was careful last night tot to make any direct act ewe sagsz. lawmakers from both parties echoing his skepticism. >> i think it's very, very hard to believe that at some level there wasn't somebody or some group, as the president alluded to in pakistan that wasn't aware of this. >> it appears to me very logical that if osama bin laden was in that home for six years at the same time and a group of people there that were connected with the military, that a lot of people in pakistan knew about his whereabouts. >> if bin laden could have this kind of access to the government and get this kind of protection, if that's the case, we don't know that it is, what does that say about the security of the nuclear weapons and what does it say about the military force there and how secure it really is? >> pakistan leaders so far denied knowing that osama bin
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laden was living in abbottabad. its ambassador pushed back yesterday saying there were other rogue groups in the country b that could have been involved. >> surrounded on three sides -- >> if any member of the pakistani government, the pakistani intelligence service knew where osama bin laden was, we would have taken action. bin laden's presence in pakistan was not to pakistan's advantage. we still have a mini jihady has-beens from the 1980s who are still alive, well and kicking and some of them could have been helping them but they are not in the state of pakistan today. >> has-beens from the 1980s, those comments come as pakistan takes a tougher stance now to president obama's decision to keep the raid from his government. the prime minister warnings that his country will defend the air space if united states forces try to mount another similar separation inside their country. the white house says the
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so-called treasure trove of intelligence seized from bin laden's compound is painting the portrait of an aging fugitive terror leader seeking remaining control of his organization he founded. written doults, computer heart drives and telephone numbers are some of the items rounded up in last week's raid. >> this is the largest cache derived from the scene of any al qaeda intelligence. >> the navy s.e.a.l.s team discovered five videos of osama bin laden including this one getting the most attention which shows him watching news coverage of himself on television and directing the camera to zoom in on him on television. other videos show bin laden rehearsing speeches and one clip believed to have been made as recently as last fall. for more, we go now to islamabad, pakistan, where we
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find peter alexander joining us by skype. i'm glad you got there safely, peter. what else are they finding as they comb through this information inside bin laden's xount? >> willie, it's a good question. i think the most important thing to note here is that they are still going through this information. it's the equivalent of what you would find in a small college library, more than is 00 thumb drives, dvds, computer disks and why it's so important according to the united states is that it indicates that osama bin laden, even this aging fugitive as you see from the gray beard in that video was still, according to the u.s., the man behind the scenes in charge of al qaeda. he was still running operations. and the u.s. right now, as it receives new information, is providing that information about aspirational plots, plots they may be considering in other parts of the world to those other countries as they may be affected as well as keeping them
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intern certainly in the united states and those governments. it's important to note is that if the intention of releasing those videos was to convince the pakistani people that osama bin laden was dead or that he was here in the first place, they really failed. a lot of people here still believe that this never happened and that he was never here. >> we can tackle that question separately. i'm wondering, the people that you spoke to, what is their response to the accusations that they were complicit somehow, is that the government or that the isi or some element of the military was helping to hide osama bin laden? how are they reacting to those accusations from the united states? >> we spoke to one of the former pakistani intelligence chiefs. he visited with us last night and made it very clear in no uncertain terms that there is no way that folks from the military, the government or the
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intelligence services here in pakistan aided or abetted, helped harbor osama bin laden within this country. they say that is simply not an option. when it comes to the folks across this country, though, i think it's very clear that they have yet to make up their minds about what happened. they want to believe n that pakistan was involved in help find him. >> peter, thank you so much. we'll let peter get back to watching himself on television just like bin laden does. turning now to the unrest in iraq, an inmate led revolt at a baghdad prison has killed 17 officials and prisoners. they were members of an al qaeda affiliate and that the assault appears to have been planned in advance as the violence comes amid warnings of heightened attacks in revenge of last week's killings following the killing of osama bin laden. in cairo yesterday, 12 people were killed and two churches burned. authorities have announced
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military trials for the nearly 200 people arrested in connection with the clashes. in yemen, the death toll rose to 240 after security forces opened fire on crowds yesterday. demonstrations in that country have entered their third month despite a violent military crackdown. in syria, activists say forces went into two cities killing 14 people and arresting hundreds of others. the human rights groups say communications, electricity and water all have been cut in various towns. back here at home, gas prices have surged 12 cents a gallon in just the last two weeks. that's just shy of the all-time high of $4.11 a gallon. but could last week's crude oil collapse mean those prices might come down for you? let's take an early look at the markets as we get all up in your business this morning. steve sedgwick is live in london. good morning, steve. >> good to see you. 91 cents higher so far this
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year, but analysts are saying it could be 50 cents higher. that could save motorists $189 million per day. elsewhere, it seems apple has beaten google's four-year run as the most valuable brand in the world. it's now worth $153 million. mcdonald's has come in number four and mcdonald's is spending nearly $1 billion upgrading their brand. out goes the fiberglass tables and in comes the foe leather sofas. i'm sure i could see you there, willie. >> you know me and faux leather. still ahead, residents of tennessee bracing for impact as flood waters continue to rise along the mississippi river. officials now go door to door warning residents to leave their homes. would he tell we'll have the latest in just a minute. and the los angeles lakers found on themselves yesterday on the brink of elimination. but before the game, kobe briept was unreasonably confident. >> i still think we're going to win this series, but i might be
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nuts. >> nuts you are. the lakers try literally to wrestle a win away from the mavericks and keep coach phil jackson's career alive. we'll have the low-lights from this early game when "way too early" comes right back. the committee on the judiciary is authorized and directed to investigate fully and completely whether sufficient grounds exist for the house of representatives to exercise its constitutional power to impeach richard m. nixon, president of the united states of america. [ female announcer ] the healing power of touch
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sadly, no. oh. but i did pick up your dry cleaning and had your shoes shined. well, i made you a reservation at the sushi place around the corner. well, in that case, i better get back to these invoices...
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beautiful picture from the top of our building here at rockefeller center. 5:46 in the morning along the east coast. along the mississippi river, meanwhile, resident res dealing with record flood levels after weeks of heavy rain. in memphis, officials are going door to door warning people to abandon their homes. here now with the latest situation, our friend, bill karins. >> this is hard to believe. i just read a lot of the tributaries going into the mississippi river are flowing backwards because the mississippi is so high now that it's flowing the wrong direction. so it's crazy stuff going on. this is a historic flood that continues right now. the crest is just north of memphis. it should be there late today or early tomorrow. it will be the second all-time. we have another week of this to go by the time it gets down to vicksburg. a large line of storms heading
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for memphis. the forecast, gorgeous. this weekend was fantastic in the east coast. this will be one of the best weeks of the year for areas from d.c. to new york up through new england. enjoy it. >> good week here, bill. thanks. let's turn to sports now. until a couple of days ago, phil jackson had never been down by three games in a playoff series. he certainly hadn't been swept on the sidelines for what was certainly his last game as a lakers coach. the lakers, trying to three-pete, found themselves on the wrong side of things in dallas. perry drained a three foot. then in the second, terry with another long ball. mavs go to the half with a 24-point lead. terry again in the third, he finishes with 31 points and nine three-pointers, nine. lakers down 26 before things get ugly. lamar odom, a cheap shot lands dirk nowitzki with a shoulder down to the floor. he's called for a flagrant foul
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and ejected from the game. 45 seconds later, sth a bad one. j.j.abrea in the air. nothing you could do about it. the smallest guy on the court. bymun decks with a forearm. the mavericks crush the lakers, 122-86. phil jackson was fined earlier in the day for criticizing the officials after a previous game said this likely is the end of his career. >> this is, in all, my aspiration, this is the final game that i'll coach. this has been a wonderful run. you know, i go out with a sour note after being fined $35,000 this morning by the league, so that's not fun and, you know, feeling like i've been chased down the freeway by them. but as richard nixon says, you
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won't be able to kick this guy around any more. >> phil jackson ends his coaching career with 11 nba titles. he won six with michael jordan and the bulls in the 90s and five with the lakers. last week, you remember the "new york times" pointing out on its front page that derek jeter had no home runs in his first 100 at-bats. yesterday, the captain is answering the critics. look at this, that's a bomb to right center. jeter's first home run of the year, 4-3 rangers there. and then in the seventh, an identical shot in the bull pen. curtis granderson with a pink bat on mother's day goes back to back. yankees win, 12-5, two home runs for jeter. coming up, president obama says the mission to kill osama bin laden was a 55/45 proposition. what would have happened if the
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45% part would have been right? the president considers it in a moment. when we come back, we'll huddle up to watch a great part of news, a segment about the shake weight. too much on your plate?
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as we told a moment ago, unusual amounts of rain are
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pushing the mighty mississippi over its banks. several states bracing for water sarah palin costume. here she is at a fake republican debate. >> it's so great to be backs on fox news. a network that both pays me and shows me the questions ahead of time. i just hope tonight the lame stream media won't twist my words by repeating them verba m verbatim. i'm planning a trip to the
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middle east where i will be filming a cameo in hangover 3. the fellas go to a bar and i'm there. i recently purchased rosetta stone english. i want to acknowledge that this week we finally vanquished one of the world's great villains and i for one am thrilled to say good riddance to katie couric. >> she's still got it. we have to show you this clip. maybe you saw it over the weekend on the web. ktla, they're wacky over there. let's be honest. out in los angeles, they have a good time on all their shows. they're doing a segment about the shake weight. it's a way to get more in space. let's just watch. >> alley mckay is shaking with excitement at the prospect of taking part of this new shake weight class. alley, is it better to go slow or better to go fast? just a question. >> i think you kind of vary it.
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you know how you're doing, you know, but feeling the burn, if you will. something i noticed doing the shake weight there's a little mirror on the top. so you can actually check yourself out. >> i've always wondered. >> is that where the cool down spray comes out? >> no. that's actually only on south park. >> it's mark here and they asked me to join in, but i have a small white one. does that make a difference? >> no. actually, you know what? i don't think, but thank you so much for asking that. i'm sure a lot of men at home were wondering that, as well. not credits. because he told me he has a big black one. so yes, that's very good stuff. >> wow, that's ktla, the most entertaining channel on tv. the people at shake weight want me to let you know, i have a book coming out tomorrow called loaded, billion a millionaire over nig overnight and lose 20 pounds in two weeks or your money back.
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get them in stores tomorrow or get them on your fine best selling woibts. you can see on the top, donald trump loves those guys. have you got anything you want to pitch? he's leaving today for jersey. i'll have more on loaded autopsy week. i think you guys are going to like this one. still ahead on way too early, why are you aware? your loaded texts and e-mails are next.
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number one story on msnbc.com, the obama administration says there is no sign yet that pakistan knew of osama bin laden's presence in that country. top of the show, we asked you what you're doing up at this hour, our producer, rob gifford has a couple of answers. >> my husband and i get up at 5:00 a.m. in order to have a date every morning. we make coffee and actually talk to each other. >> you have to talk to each other. coffee sounds good but talking, don't need that at this hour. what else? >> mikey writes wondering when the government is going to release the bin laden just for

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